52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot - Uniform and Equipment

Uniform and Equipment

Throughout most of the regiment's life, the 52nd Foot wore traditional British Army red coats, with buff facings. During the American wars, the coat was long tailed, with buff facings, buff waistcoat and breeches. The grenadier company wore a bearskin hat with the King's Crest and the regimental number. Officers wore crimson sash, gorget and silver epaulettes.

When becoming a light infantry regiment in 1803, the uniform accordingly changed. Light infantry dress has its origins in the American War of Independence, when uniforms were altered to allow ease in the field. "Wings", similar to those worn by grenadiers, were added to the shoulders and lacing was dispensed with, to make the quick removal of coats possible. At that time, the irregular light infantry also sought less conspicuous dress than the traditional red coat. However, conservatism returned with the new regular light infantry; while the 95th Rifles were permitted to retain the green clothing used by the German regiments, the seconded line regiments were required to retain the red coat, which remained an impediment to their skirmishing duties.

Thus, throughout the Napoleonic wars, the 52nd foot continued to wear red uniforms with buff facings. The officers had silver lace, while the other ranks' lace was worn in pairs, red with orange stripes (according to 1802 regulations); in 1812 a commentator described the lace as red with two blue stripes. Light infantry officers wore short jackets, rather than the tailed coats of the other line regiments, with white piping, silver buttons, and silver and scarlet shoulder wings. The uniform was completed with a crimson sash; to match the buff facings and turn-backs, the officers generally wore buff breeches, or grey overalls. Field officers of the 52nd wore silver epaulettes, with regimental badge, overtop the light infantry wings, to designate rank. An 1810 order stipulated these be badged with a star (for majors), a crown (lieutenant colonels) or star and crown (colonels). Light infantry also commonly wore a narrow waist-belt instead of the customary shoulder-belt. The 52nd did not adopt the "Belgic cap" but retained the stovepipe shako throughout the Napoleonic period; it was adorned with the brass bugle badge and green plumes of the light infantry. In the 52nd, officers' plumes were made from horsehair. Officers generally carried a stirrup-hilted sabre.

Officers were responsible for providing (and paying for) their own uniforms; consequently, variable style and decoration was present, according to the officer's private means. Equipment could consume a significant portion of an officer's pay; during the Napoleonic era, the 52nd's plain regimental sabre, for example, cost 4 guineas, approximately 16 days' pay for an ensign.

The red coat remained standard uniform for the British Army until khaki was introduced as standard in 1885, although some allowances were made for colonial conditions, with the use of lighter materials, and slight change of design. However, the uniform and equipment remained quite restrictive, particularly in colonial warfare. In 1841, the light bob's situation was compared unfavourably with his enemy's light marching order: "Buckle him up in a tight red jacket, when the thermometer is about 80°; place across his breast two buff-leather belts, about a quarter of an inch in thickness, and each what the milliners call a nail in breadth; hang to one of them a cartouche-box containing sixty rounds of ball cartridges, each of these about above an ounce in weight; strap across his shoulders a square well-packed wallet, containing four shirts, with or without frills, and other notions; plant a cap on his head which in point of weight is equal to an iron pot; then place over his shoulder a musket and bayonet weighing a stone; with three days' provisions in his haversack, and a couple of quarts of liquid in a canteen."

While no official service uniform was developed for the tropics, during the Mutiny in India in 1857, many of the regiments fought in their undress uniform (white drill), rather than the standard uniform. The 52nd were the first regiment to dye their white uniforms khaki for use in the field. This early khaki was a grey colour. For most purposes, they discarded their coats and, adopting the Indian traditions, wore their shirts out, rather than tucked in; shirts were also dyed. The 52nd also developed turbans to wear over their standard-issue forage caps. Following the mutiny, regiments returned to the standard red clothing.